Applications of 3D printing in orthopedics: A scoping review

Purpose In light of increasing adoption of 3D printing in clinical practice, this review aims to provide an updated overview on the current applications of 3D printing in orthopaedics and identify the gaps in existing literature. Methods Electronic database search of PubMed, Embase, Ovidmedline, Cochrane Library and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature was performed on 7 April 2023, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines for scoping reviews. The searches were conducted using the keywords relating to “orthopaedic” and “three-dimensional printing”. No restrictions were placed on the date of publication. Results 1333 articles were included in the final synthesis of this review. 6 main themes were identified: surgical planning (57.01%), implants (28.73%), prostheses (5.03%), surgical training and education (4.20%), orthosis (3.98%) and patient education (1.05%). Specialties which commonly used 3D-printing included trauma, spine and adult reconstruction. Common anatomical sites included pelvis, spine and knee. Titanium was the most used material, followed by polylactic acid and resin. Titanium was predominantly used in 3D printed implants while polylactic acid and resin were predominantly used during surgical planning. There was a paucity of literature pertaining to legal and economical papers. Conclusion Existing literature demonstrates the growing applications of 3D printing in orthopaedics with the potential for it to address the needs of low-income countries, improve patient outcomes and enhance surgical practices. However, further research is needed to explore the clinical, economic aspects and optimization of workflow to establish 3D printing as a standard of care in orthopaedics.